


All the 'If's that (almost) never came true

by Esperancelaw (esperance9801)



Category: One Piece
Genre: Fluff and Humor, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Dressrosa, canonverse, in which Cora is alive, platonic coralaw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-11
Updated: 2016-07-11
Packaged: 2018-07-22 21:44:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7454995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/esperance9801/pseuds/Esperancelaw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Law meets Corazon for the first time in thirteen years, to find out that while times may change, some things, like love, and destiny, don't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All the 'If's that (almost) never came true

_So I didn't manage to kill Doflamingo after all... Seems like I couldn't complete your revenge, Cora-san..._

Trafalgar Law still had a few weeks till the date he'd arranged to meet with his crew. He'd come to a simple seaside town far away from the Grandline, abandoning his hat and changing into a plain hoodie to hide his identity, and decided to settle down there for the time being.

As he passed by the town market, a voice amongst the clamour drew his attention.

'God! Are you alright? How do you manage to slip and fall a dozen times just buying fruits here?' A woman, one of the vendors, exclaimed.

'Uwah, I have no idea... Maybe I'm extra clumsy today, haha-- Ouch!' A thud, and it seemed like the person'd slipped again.

_...what?!_

Surprised, Law rushed forth to check.  
   
The same shaggy blonde hair, but held back in a small ponytail; no more clown make-up, feather coat or heart-patterned shirt, but only a plain white and slightly oversized jacket... The man before him bore a surprising resemblance to Corazon, but Law dared not confirm, until the latter spoke.

'...ah, shit.'

The first sentence that passed between the two upon meeting after thirteen years.

Law almost dragged the other man to his current place of residence. Neither spoke on the way, but Law couldn't stop himself staring at the man who was supposed to have died in the snow more than a decade ago. He was teeming with questions yet at a loss for words; everything had come as too much of a surprise.

'Law,' Corazon finally spoke, after a long silence. 'You still remember me?'

_It's about time you forget, stupid brat._

That was the second damn sentence.

'...shut up,' Law's eyes still couldn't leave the man before him. It was the first time he'd seen him without his make-up, and without it Corazon looked just like the average man you'd see on the streets. A rather good-looking one, though.

'I thought you died.'

Hearing that, Corazon simply smiled and cocked his head, as though not planning to say anything else, but then he suddenly shifted to seat himself next to Law, patting his head.

'Hey, that tiny little brat back then has grown really tall, hasn't he?'

'Cora-san......'

'I'm glad you're alive, Law,' he continued. 'And there's no need to call me Cora-san now. Just call me by my name-- Rocinante; Roci is alright too...'

And Law found tears running down his cheeks and bowed his head, only to hear the warm, caring tone that couldn't sound more familiar--

'By the way, Law! I still love you!'

Rocinante was smiling when he said those words-- a smile what came naturally, unlike that, say, shocking face he'd shown Law the last time they saw each other on Minion Island. This made Law instinctively lunge at the other man, crying aloud.

'...oi oi, are you a kid? One of the Worst Generation and still crying like this...'

'Say, that outfit of yours at Dressrosa... You think it's cool or something, wearing a huge coat with nothing inside?' He might as well nag a bit, Rocinante thought, since he now had the chance. 'And that tattoo... I can understand, but that huge heart pattern up front is really-- Oh right, and the back of your coat said 'corazon', didn't it?' He chuckled, more to himself than to younger man still in his arms. 'Ne, Law? You haven't spoken a word since just now...'  
   
'Co-- Roci... san... You didn't die back then?'

'Probably got clumsy and stumbled back from the gates of hell,' was the smiling reply. 'Enough of that-- you're probably pretty busy, you should go ahead and do your stuff... It's good to see you're doing well, by the way, but just don't mess around too much! When I first saw you became one of the shichibukai (next to Doffy, too,) I totally freaked out! Even burnt a hole in my clothes!'

'Eh?' Law paused. 'I don't really have anything to do for now...'

'Hm? Do you happen to want to stay with me for a few days?'

'Is that okay?'

'Of course!'

And just like that, Law stayed. With Rocinante, now aged 38, the benefactor and father figure he had unexpectedly reunited with after thirteen years, on a peaceful island far away from the Grandline, and the noise and hustle of the rest of the world.

 ++++++++++

One; You're still this clumsy.

  
Law thanked God from the bottom of his heart that all these years Rocinante hadn't gotten himself killed with that clumsiness of his; these few days he had been waking up early, spending at least a few minutes gazing blankly at the man still soundly asleep next to him before getting up.

Rocinante had been living by himself in a stand-alone house in the outskirts of the town, with only one bed, but since he'd ordered the extra-large kind that could sleep at least two or three people (just in case he rolls off in the middle of the night and hit his head), he said, let's just sleep together like we did back when you were still so small!

Law had the urge to tell him to stop treating him like a kid; but seeing the latter's smile he chose to let it slide. Not like he really minded anyway.

And on the very next morning, as he was brushing his teeth, a thud and an 'ow' sent him rushing to find the very familiar and totally not unexpected sight of Rocinante, with his back on the ground and legs in the air, grinning sheepishly as he greeted 'Good morning, Law!'.  
   
'Morning, Roci-san...' _Seriously, your clumsiness never change._ Toothbrush still in his mouth he pulled the the other man up, only to suddenly remember that this, exactly _this_ , was the 'future' he had projected thirteen years ago, that moment when the lid of the treasure chest closed on Cora-san's last smile, having just eaten the devil fruit that would cure his disease, and convinced that everything would be fine.

But the dream, that was supposed to have died along with the figure under the snow, had come back to life. Law found warm liquid welling up in his eyes again as a smile found its way to his face. The man who had never shed another tear since that fateful day thirteen years ago; the heartless, cynical Surgeon of Death he was known to the world by-- has learnt to cry again.

+++++++++

Two; So this is how you look like.

  
After breakfast, Rocinante had smoothed out on the table a page of interest from the just-delivered newspapers, studying it intently. Law, with nothing particular to do in mind, found himself observing the 'resurrected' man.

His vague memories of Cora-san's face saw him always with his clown-like make-up; now, as Law study the Rocinante before him, he actually looked quite handsome. Wavy blonde hair; striking red eyes; and, ah, that smile that never failed to warm his heart.

'...say, watcha looking at?' Discovering Law's fixed gaze on him, Rocinante reached across the table and poked him between his eyebrows. 'You're frowning again-- And what's with the black circles! I've been wanting to ask you, just how many hours do you even sleep every night?!'

'It's the first time I've seen you without the make-up,' Law told him, shrugging off the nagging.

'Oh,' Rocinante was staring back at Law now, too. 'I've only seen you from the newspapers and the wanted posters too. You stupid brat actually ran off to be a pirate... Nevermind, it's quite a free life after all.' He squished Law's cheek gently, then slowly ran his palm down the side of his face. 'But you have grown up all safe and sound... I'm so glad...' He sniffed, and Law realised that he was crying.

'Shit, so old and still crying in front of a little brat...'

'You were already doing that thirteen years ago.'

'Wha-- how did you--'

Law repressed a chuckle.

A short stretch of silence, and Rocinante broke into a smile again.

'Actually, you should have forgotten about me long ago. But seems like you still remember me really well, don't you?'

'How can I ever forget?! You're the most important person to me ever!' Law blurted out, only to see the wide-eyed, open-mouthed shocked face and feeling the sense of deja-vu. '...Oi! What's with that expression?!'  
   
'Law!! I love you too!! Uwahhh I'm really happy right now! I was wondering if you still hate me for dragging you around to all those hospitals and hurting you... But this is really shocking coming from you!'

Rocinante looked as though he was about to faint from happiness, and Law felt a blush creep across his face.

_What is this... If that makes you so happy I can say it as many times as you want..._

_But maybe not so much... This is kind of awkward._  
   
A slight breeze entered through the open window and ruffled their hair. It was an ordinary sunny day.  
         
++++++++++

Three; You are too gentle.

  
The splash of water.

It was dusk; Rocinante said he needed to buy some things, giving Law the choice to come along, or maybe rest a bit and take a shower.

He had decided to stay.

Back at Dressosa, he had gone to take one last look at Doflamingo before the bound and defeated pirate was taken away; now, as he turned on the tap, the final words that the Heavenly Demon had given to him returned.

'Well, think of it as a gift, since you already know my past identity anyway... His name was Rocinante.'

In the chaos that followed Law hadn't been able to fathom its meaning, but to think of it now, it really was a gift from him, to say his brother's true name.

Having known Donquixote Doflamingo's true identity as a tenryuubito, Law's understanding of how his enemy had so much power under his control had been immediately followed by another.

_This means Cora-san was one, too?_

He hadn't given the matter much of a thought, but on his way after the war to his next destination, the sinking realization came to him.

 _So I am supposed to be his sworn enemy..._  
   
When the latter first told him of the meaning of the hidden name 'D', Law would have never expected that, directly or not, he himself would be the one to cause the death of his benefactor.

He knew it wasn't completely true, but he couldn't help but think that way, even after all this time.

Just like how, at the very beginning of it all, he couldn't figure out why Corazon covered up for him, Law was confused again. He truly did not know why his heart had hurt so deeply that night, hearing the man's heart-pouring mumbling and feeling those warm droplets of tears upon his face, nor why he had cried so freely afterwards, till he had to bite his lips so hard they bleed so that the clumsy giant behind him wouldn't know he was actually awake.

_...I'm sorry. Although I still hate going to hospitals and hearing those bastards point and scream, I now know that you truly wanted me to be saved._

_But can someone actually do this much for another person simply out of sympathy?_

_I don't know, but it doesn't matter anymore._

They had been together only for those short six months, cut short at the very end of which by such a hurried, incomplete, unsatisfying closure. Law had even decided to become the nice, obedient child when they reunite at the next town; to thank him, and even, if he could, to tell him that he loved him too. But all those 'if's could no longer come true, buried, along with the person they would have been directed to, under the snow.  
   
From the moment when he succeeded in healing himself with his newfound power, and the moment when he knew he could now live, he had, at the same time as he swore revenge, sworn to remember.

Calling his crew the Heart Pirates; incorporating the 'smiley' into his Jolly Roger; even tattooing it along with the heart totem on the frontmost part of himself-- Law's eyes traced its mark as he now stood in front of the misted mirror--

Like keeping that person's final smile with himself, burning it into the back of his mind till it hardens into a lifetime's worth of undying persistence.

++++++++++

Rocinante did not see Law upon returning home; he knocked on the bedroom door and, gaining no response, opened the door himself to find the younger man in front of the mirror, shirt unbuttoned, head bowed, hand clutched in front of his bare chest.

Frightened, he rushed towards him and asked if he was unwell.

'No, it's alright,' Law told him, avoiding his panicked enquiry, and pushing the larger hand away to draw the front of his shirt together as though trying to hide the tattoo on his chest.

'Law...'

'By the way, Cora-san,' he turned to face him again. 'Do you remember the time when you hid me in the treasure chest? I meant to reply you, but your smile then was a bit too shocking.' He smiled.

'I love you too.'

_If he could, to tell him that he loved him too._

The prolonged stay with the Strawhats had probably gotten their habit of doing the unexpected into him; now Law wasn't exactly sure what would happen next. He was starting to worry when that idiot-ish shocked face didn't appear, but the next moment Rocinante had scooped him into his arms, locking him in a tight embrace.

'I know,' he heard him say, before releasing him and patting his chest. 'It's right here. I know it all.'

Law couldn't help but wrap his own arms around him, breathing in his scent. Too gentle; he already was back then, and still is now.

'I bought cake; let's eat together,' Rocinante said softly after a while, ruffling Law's hair.

'...okay.'

_For now, I'll just let myself drown in this happiness._

~fin~

**Author's Note:**

> Because Cora needs more love and Law needs the chance to give it to him :3  
> Tell me what you guys think?


End file.
